Chief of United HealthCare Bets
On Being Big by Buying Humana

By

Thomas M. Burton Staff Reporter of The Wall Street Journal

Updated June 1, 1998 12:27 a.m. ET

Is good patient care compatible with big institutional size?

William W. McGuire is about to embark on a giant test of that question. Last week, Dr. McGuire announced that his company, United HealthCare Corp., will buy Humana Inc. for stock valued at about $5.38 billion, a deal that would make United Health by far the nation's largest...